Tired of Yo-Yoing

[Takanna]

Okay so I'm 5'4" and have gained about 5 lb since ex and I broke up and I moved back to be with family and for school. activity level has dropped off significantly and I'm trying to find the motivation to start running again and go to the gym more often. I also consume between 1000-1300 calories per day but I tend towards the 1000 side but I am still gaining weight/inches! I am extremely frustrated and getting a bit down because clothes are starting to not fit anymore and at one point when I was with ex I was down to about 120lb now I'm around 128! I don't really think the lower calories is working for me, could possibly adding running and more weights work? Also what kinds of nutrients should I be focusing on? I am also more fatigued lately even though I'm not doing anything really all day. I'm not sure if it's a mix of depression or just the blues with a lack of exercise but any advice would be welcomed! I want to lose about 5 lb and just tone up/strength train. Plyometrics makes me put on muscle SUPER fast which increases inches as well so I don't want to do that.

[Boss Man]

Hi there .

Sedentary females need around 1,800 calories a day, so In other words, you're not eating enough. 1lb of muscle burns another 45-50 calories and if your body believes you're starving it, it will hang onto fat and if you're losing muscle it could be adding fat too. Also the lack of activity could also be a contributing factor for the weight gain.

This plan I gave someone else a while back, might be of use to you. I'll detail any exercise afterwards yeah .


Breakfast

Option 1.

Bowl of Whole-grain Cereal + 3 Scrambled Egg Whites + 1 Yolk.

Option 2.

Portion of Chopped Chicken + Apple. Give the Apple 10-15 minutes to improve digestion, then eat the Chicken.


Snack.
Option 1.

Portion of Low Fat Cheese.

Option 2.

Portion of Peanuts + some Berries, (same advice on the fruit).


Lunch

Option 1.

Ham Sandwhich, which could include things like Tomato, Cumber, Lettuce, Mustard etc etc.

Option 2.

Bowl of Soup. Chicken and Mushroom, Chicken, Oxtail or Pea and Ham would be good for the Protein content as well.


Snack

Option 1.

Small portion of Turkey and Nut Yoghurt.

Option 2.

A couple of Chicken Sandwhiches made with Wheat or Rye Crackers. Could include things like Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatos etc etc. Just make sure the Crackers are low Salt.


Dinner

Option 1.

Steak and Mashed Potato

Option 2.

Pork Stir-fry, with things like Mushooms, sliced Peppers, Peas, Rice and Mini Corn Cobs, so whatever you want with the Pork from those and / or your own choices.


Snack

Option 1.

Beans on Toast

Option 2.

Small Bowl of Whole-grain Cereal and some chopped Ham


I'd suggest for exercise that you stick to a total body system with a mix of Cardio in it.

The system usually entails 1 exercise per muscle group, 2 sets per exercise, with 8-10 reps per muscle.

This is done 3 times a week, for 4-6 weeks, to adjust the body to the biomechanics of weightlifting. This can also be re-employed for people who have been out of the training loop for some time, as their bodies may be deconditioned and need a physical refresher before moving on to more taxing things.

A Gym could set you up with a good regime of exercises.

I'd suggest a weekly schedule along these lines.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7. Day off

This keeps the off days split so you don't do 2 days of back to back no exercise and this schedule stops you training for more than 3 days straight for potential recovery benefits.

You could do some steady state cardio, if you feel you want to ease back in, or go for a very low level interval style.

When the 4-6 weeks are up, you could keep or change to an interval style, but go one step up from the basic setting and progress from there and also make sure from the getgo, that your Cardio sessions are 30 minutes in length, to get adequate Cardiovscular exertion. You shouldn't need any more than 40 minutes tops really, as any more than that might start to affect recovery potential and you don't want to encourage overtraining and backwards progress.

Hopefully all this gives you ideas.

When you say you moved for school, I assumed from your post you're studying something, as opposed to having one or more children in the schooling system, or would I be incorrect?

You don't have to answer that if you'd rather not, as I don't think it's relevant to what you said in your post, I'm just being curious in a polite considerate way .

Whatever is happening in your lfie right now, I do wish you a lot of luck and best wishes. Try not to stress too much about anything okay . Your weight has only gone up by 8lbs and 120lbs is certainly a good healthy level of weight to be looking for, so your goal is not unwise or ill advised .

If there's anything else we can do to help, or any words of support you'd like to offer to others, please do stop by as often as you wish. We will be here for you whenever is feasible.

Take care, chin up and best wishes okay . You seeem like a really great person and it's people like you that we're here for .

[Takanna]

Thanks Boss Man! And I am definitely trying to eat healthier. OH! Okay I do have a weakness for coffee, what is the general rule for that? I mainly crave it at night after dinner, say 7 or 8 o'clock? And yeah I moved back to be with family after ending a rather negative relationship (I moved to be closer to him since he's in the military) but it didn't work so I moved back to where I originally lived before he and I met. I am studying Psychology right now and will be finishing that up to move on to graduate school afterwards! I will eventually be doing Family and Marriage counseling.

I have a training session tomorrow with a trainer which will be fun. MHR is achieved pretty easily so I'm learning breathing techniques to try to control that during workouts so I don't overexert myself. Oh yeah and what is a good substitute for pork? I'm not a huge fan of it, can I use chicken or fish instead? What fish are low in mercury? Hah sorry for all the random questions! Leaving no stone unturned!

[Boss Man]

Don't apologise for asking questions. If you don't ask you'll never know, so I'll politely refuse it, because I can't accept unnecessary apologies off a Lady, as personally I'd feel rude .

Chicken and Fish are good Pork alternatives as are Lamb and Beef. Salmon and Tilapia are good low mercury alternatives to something like Tuna.

Caffine, the needs to know.

1. Can cause Stomach Ulcers and Heartburn.

2. Blocks Iron absorption. Iron is the main component in Erythrocytes, (Red Blood Cells), so it could promote Anemia and reduced oxygenation of the muscles, Brain and pretty much every cellular thing in your body.

3. It can constrict bloodvessels.

4. The Xanthines can convert to Uric Acid and promote Gout.

The problem with Decaff is, there is one kind made with some sort of Chemical washing process that uses a Carcinogen, (cancer causing substance), but others I believe include a jet washing type process and a deep water type soaking process if memory serves correct.

I very much doubt many Decaffs if any, state the Caffeine extaction method used on the packaging, so you wouldn't know which brands to avoid.

If you want the antioxident type content from such a drink, there is something called "Redbush", a tea type drink made from an African plant caleld the Redbush. I'm not sure if any products made over in America contain it, or if you can specifically get the Tetley one I'm thinking of, but if so, you could consider substituting Coffee for that, unless you're having 1 cup a day, in which case no biggie, but it's still your choice, regardless of what I just said .

The only slight issue with some Teas, apart from the caffeine, (which Redbush doesn't have), is the Tannic Acid, (not sure if Redbush has T A in it), which can also block Iron uptake, as can excess Copper, Calcium and Magnesium, though Vit C and Capsicum can boost it, as can Amino acids.

Copper will in small enough amounts, assists with Iron use and storage, so things like Mushrooms, Beans, Rice, Pork, (ha Pork ), Shellfish, Green Veggies and possibly Liver and Cereals are good for it.

Hopefully all that helps.

Oh and GOOD LUCK with the studies. I think that's brilliant what you've chosen to do and on current evidence, visa vie personality and attitude, I'm sure when you finally qualify and can work / practice proffessionally, you'll be awesome .

I feel a lot of pride for you for your choices and for your admissions about the relationship. It obviously must have been a bit difficult at the time, but kudos to you for finding that little bit of courage and inner strength to talk about it an I thikn you should be very, very proud of how you have chosen to live your life .

Good luck again, and please don't worry about asking anything. If you don't ask we can't help and we want to help, because it's a major part of why the site exists.

Any oher things you want to ask, or any words of support or advice to others you want to give, will be greatly received .

[Takanna]

So...update...things aren't going so great. I'm up to 132lb and about an inch bigger in most places than I want. I don't sleep well, (often go to bed with racing thoughts and even when I calm those down heart rate is elevated), I don't get good quality sleep and I'm just getting super frustrated with all of it. I've taken up running, I'm trying to eat even healthier than normal but it doesn't seem to make any difference at all! None of clothes fit but I don't want to go buy new clothes because I'm afraid I'll lose the weight and have spent money on clothes that don't fit (when I could have just stayed in the ones that already didn't fit to begin with!). I might be dealing with a bit of depression just from not really doing anything and not having a schedule and other issues, but I'm really not sure why I'm gaining even with increased activity levels. I'm more active and am just not really hungry either though. Also should I be drinking a ton of water? I know 8 glasses a day but can lack of hydration contribute to what I'm experiencing?

[Boss Man]

You might have possibly gained weight from increased Salt intake, whereby you get Water retention, or you can also get something called Edema, (fluid retention in the Legs).

Have you been using a standardised weekly weigh in strucutre? The best thing to do is weigh first thing in the morning after a toilet trip, so weighing doesn't include any retained food, liquid intake or waste, that might skew readings, as random weighing times / days can confuse and potentially lead to the changing of what might be good weight loss behaviour, to less effective behaviour, hindering progress or possibly even reversing it a bit.

I also feel it might be your calories. You admitted to only eating around 1,000-1,200 a day, which is too low for weight loss. You would be better having around 90% more than 1,200, because you'd need 1,800 just for being sedentary, (female average per day) and then some more for exercise.

If you're losing muscle, you'd cause a problem, becasue muscle is metabolic and creates an environment for caloric burning. One added lb of muscle can burn an approximate extra 45-50 calories so losing some will cause potentially more fat gain, especially if you increased your cardio or exercise levels in general but didn't increase either your Protein, calories or both to allow for what you did, as then you'd provde the body with no added nutrition to account for the increased activity levels, jeopardising natural resources and as stated, potentially creating a bit more fat and possibly water storage.

I'm going to assume the increased weight has nothing to do with your monthly cycle, as obviously that would be temporary weight.

So I'd reiterate the need for more calories, as I suspect you're still too low and maybe a small re-evaluation on your Salt intake, just to see if you're consuming anything that may be a bit slaty, I.E, Salty Nuts or Peanuts as oppposed to roasted, or canned Fish in Brine, that could be rinsed first to try and wash away some Salt that might adhere to the fish, or have gotten inside the Fish itself, or perhaps if you eat packaged meals, consider ones with less Salt, as suggestions.

The main thing is to not get down-hearted on this. Your current weight is not a big problem, you just need to take stock and reassess one or two things that will need a minor alteration or two.

Thanks for posting again and GOOD LUCK. You're a lovely person and you deserve to succeed and be happy and if you continue to post a bit more often, we can help you more yeah .

Chin up and keep pushing Sarah, because you' ARE worth this .